Check out this 6th verse to the song Amazing Grace by John Newton.....

When we've been here ten thousand years...
bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...
then when we've first begun.

I hear this every once in awhile in "big" church or my recovery group and I've always loved it, but last night I really heard it. We all know the 1st verse, but don't hear this one all the time. While listening and reading the lyrics on the screen, I started reflecting on what this means to my recovery. Today, I was replaying the words while driving and came upon 2 thoughts which I think God was drawing my attention to........

1. I do not think in terms of eternity often enough. That is to say, I do not include the "here after" into my daily life as much as God desires. Perhaps because I used to be so fearful of the end of this life (due in large part to my panic and anxiety issues), that I avoided any reflection on it at all. I ran from it, and tried to keep my mind occupied 24/7 in order to avoid it (an exhausting chore to say the least). I might have felt that I had spent so much time dwelling on death as a young boy, that I shouldn't have to deal with it. Or maybe I'm spending to much time thinking of myself. Perhaps it was the normal fears everyone has on the subject. In any case, I need to look at this life as a "stop over" on my journey. In light of how much "time" I'll spend with the Lord in His kingdom, the few decades I spend here are a drop in the bucket.

2. I should treat my relationships as eternal. We cannot change the past, but we can learn from it in order to change our present and our future. People we love can be deeply affected by changes in our attitudes and behavior. This means we can be a blessing or a curse. In light of eternity, I should relax more and "rest in Him". Not feeling like I have to fix ALL aspects of a relationship in a single day.

Also, I should try to look at each day as a new opportunity. It's not what I've' done, or whats been done to me. It's more bout how I proceed from this day forward. It's the relationships I try to build as I CONTINUE my journey, not the devastation of the past. Bitterness and anger won't exist in the next life anyway, so why focus on it now? I need to strive toward love, which we are assured to have in heaven, because God IS love. I should be making an investment now, that will pay off in the Timeless Future. If I make great strides mending a relationship in this life, I'll gladly spend that first "10,000 years" finishing the work, and the next 10,000 enjoying the fruits of that labor (both mine and the other person's), and praising God the entire time, for giving me that relationship back!